Apparatus for building tires



June 26,1928. 1,675,130

F. B. PFEIFFER original F11-ed Feb. 23, 192s s sheets-sheet 2 l J .2 Z5 16' f IIIHII- fred Brown Pfeiffer "m CS, QQ

` Gtozwm* I June26,192s. 1,675,130

Ff B. PFEIFFER APPARATS FOR BUILDING TIRES v origina]z FiledFebHZ, 1923Vv .V5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ,55513 fred rawnffeiffer Y? am.;

Patented June 26V, 1928.

UNITED: STATES y 1,675,130 'PATENT OFFICE.

FREE BROWN PFEIFFER, oF AKRON, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR IBAUILDING TIRES.

Application filed February 23, 192.3, Serial No. 620,702. Renewed April 30, 1928.

Myinvention relates toimprovements in methods of constructing the so-called drum built or fiat band tires, and to apparatus for use in practising the method.

Prior to my invention it has been the practice to build such tires upon a drum or cylinder' having a transversely flat face upon which the fabric plies and bead strips are assembled in the form of a flat band to he subsequently expanded intov the contour of a tire. This practice results in a band of the same inside .diameter throughout its width. In other words, the portion of the band intermediate the beads is built to the diameter of the beads. I have found in ex panding a band of this character that when the intermediate portion is expanded from the beads into the form of a tire, the cords of the fabric are spread too far apart. This results in an inferior gra-de of tire.

Furthermore, in building tires of this type it is impossible to fit a complete bead ring of the proper diameter over the drum and the under plies of the carcass without using a complicated drum structure 'which may be contracted and expanded.

It is the primary purpose of the present invention to improve 'generally upon the methods heretofore practised in constructing.

drum built tires and particularly to provide a method and apparatus whereby the disadvantages above set forth may be overcome and a better tire` provided in a shorter space of time and wit-h less expensive equipment.

Other objects and advantages will appear when the following description of my invention has been read and upon reference to the accompanying drawings and the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings:

Figure lis a side elevational view showing a preferred form of apparatus for use in practising my method;

Figure 2 is a top plan' view of Figure l; Figure 3 1s an enlarged transverse sectional View througlrthe upper surface of ,the drum illustrating the first step of my method;

Figure 4 is a similar view illustrating the manner in which the bead rings are applied in building a tire-according to my method: Figure 5 is anothertransverse sectional view illustrating another step in the method;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on a further enlarged scale showing the yapplication of the chafing strips;

the 4marginal supports for lthe beads.

Figure 7 is an elevational View showing the application of the tread and the sidewalls; y

Figure 7a is a transverse sectional view illustrating the manner in which I assemble the tread elements and. side-walls into a unitary structure before applying them to the carcass;

Figure 8 is a front .elevational view of my apparatus showing the completed band thereon and partially removed therefrom;

-Figure 9 is a side elevational view of a band illustrating another step in the method; and

Figure l() shows the band after it has been expanded upon an air bag into the .form of a tire.

In the manufacture of tires the first layer or layers of fabric 'constituting the carcass of the tire are formed as a band about the form 5, the margins or vedges of which are inclined downwardly or toward the axis of the tire. placed the beads of the tire. In the drawings the first two layers of' fabric are indicated by the numerals 1 and 2 and the inclined marginal portions of the fabric are indicated by the numeral 3. The beads Which are indicated by the numeral 14 are placed upon and secured to the edges of the band with their flat sides against the marginal edges.l

The operations are performed upon a iexible ring shaped annulus 5 which is provided with cylindrical outer surface except at its edges 6 which are beveled to form The annulus 45 is removably supported in a ceny tral position upon a. solid pulley or continuous druml 7. The drum 7 preferably projects beyond the edges of the annulus 5 to form cutting surfaces 9 for trimming around the toes of the beads. y Any suitable means for rotatably mounting the drum 7 may be utilized, such as the stand l0, and a crank l1 may be aiiixed to the drum so that it may be rotated manually when the plies are being positioned and stitched thereon. The outsidediameter of the dr-um 7 and the inside diameter of the annulus 5 are such that continuous inextensible bead rings may be positioned laterally against the inclined bead receiving surfaces 3 of the band. The annulus 5 is preferably formed of rubber,

ployed. In this instance, it'is split to pro- Upon these marginal surfaces are vide two sections 12 and 13 for af'pnrticular purpose presently explained y The bead rings 14 are now positioned in the manner`indicated labove and two outer plies 15 and 16 are stitched over the plies 1 and 2 and the bead rings 14. Chafing strips 16 may be added in the usual position relative tothe beads and the band is ,ready to receive the tread elements and side-Walls.

I prefer to apply these last elements in the form of a single strip which includes sidewalls 17 a tread portion 18, a cushion strip 19, land a breaker strip 20. An under tread strip 21 may be added if desired. This combination strip is applied in the usual manner and stitched or rolled upon the outer ply of the carcass. Y

The annulus 5 is now moved t.oward one edge of the drum.7 until one of the sections 12 or 13 is moved oil' the surface of the druni, as shown in` Figure 8. This section of the annulus may now be removed by flexing itinwardly, as shown in Figure 9, either by hand or with a suitable prying tool. This leaves one-half of the tire overlianging the drum 7 so that .the chang stripmay be stitched around the toe of the bead. The band and the other section are next moved as a unit off the drum 7 and the tire placed with its finished bead down upon a stand or form 22 so that this section may be removed' and the chaing stripson the other ied stitched around the toe of the opposite a The tire .bandmay now be expanded into `the form of a tire, for instance upon an air bag 23, as shown in Figure 10, and vulcanized in any suitable manner. The advantages 4of this method are as lfollows. "The band is built with a eter diameter thanthat of the beads. ence it is not necessary to expand it so far from the beads to give it the-proper contour and thev cords are not separat'ed to the-extentthat occurs in practising other methods. This results in a better unionV 'of the cords and plies during vulcanization and a closer 'arf i rangement of the cords, particularly at the lAgain in practising the method, inextensible bead rings may be used Without the use of an expansible and contractile drum. This' results in shortening the tire building operation materially and reducing the cost'of equipment. Also the bead rings canbe more accurately positioned upon t-lie plies.

Theforegoing constitutes a detailed de- 2 i 1,o75,1so

scription of a preferred form of' my method and one type of apparatus for use in the practice thereof, but it is not to be construed as restricting the invention to the precise steps and form of apparatus disclosed as changes and modifications may be resorted to Within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Vliat I claim is: 1. .Apparatus for use in constructing tires comprising, a support, a rotatableat surfaced drum upon the support, and a removable annulus of flexible material surround-= ing the drum said annulus having beveled edges providing bead seats.

2. Apparatus for use inconstructing tires comprising, a support, aflat surfaced rotat` )able drum upon the support, and a removable flat surfaced annulus of `flexible material upon' thedrum provided with beveled edges providing bead seats.'

3. Apparatus for use in `constructing tires comprising, a support, a rotatable drum lupon thesupport, and a fiat surfaced annulus of flexible material formed with beveled edges providing bead seats and removcomprising, a support, a rotatable drum upon the support, and a flat surfaced sec.-

tional annulus of flexible` material removy ably mounted upon the drum said -annulus h avirgbeveled edges.

6. pparatus for use in` constructing tires comprising, a "support, 'a rotatable 'drum upon the support, and a flat surfaced annulus of rubber composition ,removably mounted upon Vthe drum. y

7. Apparatus for use in constructing tires comprising, a support, a rotatable drum upon the. support, and an annulus of rubber composition surrounding the drum said an- `nulus having beYeled edges.

8. Apparatus lfor `use in constructing tires comprising, a support, a rotatable drum.

upon Ithe support, and a sectional annulus of rubber composition surrounding the drum Saidannulus having beveled edges.

`9. Apparatus for use in constructing tires comprising, 'a support, a rotatable drum upon the support, and a sectional annulus of rubber vcomposition surrounding the drum .iis

said fannulus having beveled edges spaced v from the@ edges of the drum.

vFRED BROWN PFEIFFER. 

